By Kyra Gillespie
Local business owner Sally Haberle has described the “bittersweet” moment the carpark and service road in front of her store was finally finished.
On Monday 26 March the new $250,000 car park built by the Cardinia Shire Council was officially opened on Beaconsfield-Emerald Road, but it wasn’t without its setbacks according to Ms Haberle.
“The council said the works would only take a couple of weeks, but it ended up taking four weeks longer than anticipated,” she said.
“The works meant cars couldn’t park in front of my store which was detrimental to business.
“January is a quiet time of year so the timing couldn’t have been worse.”
While the works came at a cost to Ms Haberle’s business, she describes it as a bittersweet victory.
“The service road should have been done 50 years ago,” she said.
“It’s a bittersweet victory for me because I’ve been banging on about it for the past six years.
“It’s a nice carpark but what about what it’s cost me?”
To assist the begrudged store owner after her loss of trade, a kind stranger offered to park his multi-million dollar Tucker 48 in the new carpark to attract customers.
The car enthusiast has never shown his Tucker, which is worth $3.5 million, anywhere else before.
“He’s got a big heart and wanted to cheer me up.”
The council declined the Gazette’s request for comment.
